Thermoscope



Mar. 5, 1929. l c, s, GQRDaN 1,703,880

THERMOSCOPE Filed D80. 50, 1924 20 Y Ll) ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATESv 1,703,880 PATENT oFFlcE.

' CHESTER S. GORDON, OF NEW YORK N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN TELEPHONEAND TELEGRAIH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

THERMOSCOIPE.

Application led December 30, 1924. Serial No. 758,898.

, This invention relates to thermoscopic instruments for indicatingtemperature ranges in melted substances, and more particularly insubstances such as paraffin or the like.

. An object of the invention consists in the provision of a thermoscopehaving contained elements which will function at predeter- V minedranges to indicate when the desired temperature range is reached inheating substances.

Another object consists in providing an instrument of this character ofsuch ruggedness as to render it practically free from breakage.

Other and further objects will be apparentfrom the followingdescription, when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing,in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

. Referring to the drawing, in which 'like characters ofreferencejdesignate like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the improved device, Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, andFig. 3 is a side view of Fig.- 2. The metal parts of this arrangementare lpreferably composed of rust-proof and noncorrosive materials, and,in the drawing, the numeral 5 represents a hollow, rectangular lcasingwhich may be nickel-plated. The casing 5 is provided with a dat backportion 6 having two lat side portions 7 and a bottom portion 8 whichextend forwardly therefrom. The corners of the casing 5 are preferablyrounded, and the front portions 9 are turned a short distance inwardlytoward leach other from the side 7 so that there is a comparatively widespace provided 1n thefront of the casing to provide a sightopeningbetween the adjacent edges of the portions 9. y

'A carrier 10 is slidably positioned within the hollow casing 5 in suchmanner that it may be easily inserted in or withdrawn from said casingthrough the open upper end thereof. The carrier is provided with a flatportion 11from the upper part of which two integral lugs 12, and fromthe lower part of which two corresponding lugs 13, extend forwardly. Theedges 14 on each side of the portion 11, lying between they Vupper lugs12 and lower lugs 13, are turned backwardly so that the depth presentedby the forwardly extending lugsn and back= wardly extending portionsprovide sides for gible.

the carrier 12 of such dimensions to just permit the slidable engagementof said carrier with the channel portions formed between the frontportions 9 and the interior back wall of the casing 5. In the drawing,two plates 15 are indicated as affixed respectively to the sides of thelower lugs 13. These plates extend downwardly from said lugs and areprovided for the purpose of forming a bumper to limit the descent of thecarrier 10 into the casing.

A pair of parallel glass tubes 16 and 17 are longitudinally mounted onthe, face of stance, as illustrated by means of wires 18 Awhich encirclethe tubes near their upper and lower extremities. The ends of thesewires extend through openings in the carrier into the chamber 19,provided between t-he back of said carrier and the interior back wall ofthe casing 5. Y The ends of each pair of wires are then twisted so as tofirmly retain the tubes in position. The upper parts of the tubes may beextended to form tips (as more clearly indicated in Fig. 3) which extendthrough holes in the carrier and serve to more rigidly position thctubes on said carrier. The sight-opening in the face of the casingbetween the longitudinal edges of the portions 9 is such as to permit afull view of the mounted tubes so that the action of their contents maybe readily observed. The lower parts of the tubes have the usualenlarged globular portions which contain the ingredients which respondto temperature changes, and, in order that these may be more clearlyvisualized, openings 25 are provided through the rear wall of the casingdirectly behind the globular portions. The casing may have slotsprovided at either side of the globular portions to permit the entranceof light to facilitate the observation of their contents. The casingaffords protection to the tubesI by providing a partial enclosuretherefor so that they are not subjected to outside contact and thusbreakage thereof is negli- A handle, which may be composed of hard wood,is provided for the improved arrangement, and this is shown as having asurface 20 so formed as to be readily grasped by the hand. A centrallportion 21`is formed in.

the top edges of the casing; and extending vvriff-"die, isdetachedtherefromso that the car-y `rier`may be readily slipped outthroughthe V:opentop ott-he casing.

' "The 'chemicalcompounds Aused m the glass tubes dare-.selected so thatmelting points will l 20' occur at predetermined temperatures and theseelements may consist of organic or inorganic/salts, or alloys. rlheseingredients *obta-in' desired ineltingrpoints in the respec- "Q3-tivetubes. "For eXample,iii it is desired that *the contents'ofthe'tubesshall respond respectively `to temperatures oitI 375 Fahrennitratelmayfbe nsedfrThus, to obtain in one fftube amelting` point at 375 1F.,thexsalts are J.mixed in approximatelythe following pro- Y 9 portions:85%,si-lver nitrate, and 15% thalf'lium nitrate.v To iobta-in intheother tube a "meltinlgrv point OBQOOFx, the `salts are mixed 35inappro'ximatelythe following proportions 'l 90% silvernitrate1 andg10%`thallium nitrate.

"Ilius,1-the LV'desired Ytemperatures of thev melted substance, forinstance, paraffin, are.

yfindica-ted bythe salt 'crystals changing into 0 v aclearliquidtvhenmelted. ,On eoohng,the

-l-saltsfreturn tofthe'crystalline term and they performance mayberepeated Without any change inf? themeltingpoints.

It Will be` umlerstoodthat sullicient `sub- 145? stanceiscontained.With-inthe tubes to make fit readilyvisible' in bothunmelted and melt-- edlconditions.- lThe substances inthe tubes in theirnormalyco'ol statepresent an opaque appearance,` which changes into aclear liq- 505' uid: st atewhensubjected/to the proper tem- -perature iThe contents of tube 16 4will Vv'changeltrom an opaquestateto a clearliquid 2state when .subjected to a temperature ot' f1390O/F. andthecoiitentsot tube 17 will 55* `change'fromlan opaque state to awclearliquid state when subjectedr to if-temperature of 3750 F. 'The provisionofI the improved structure with the tubes mounted therein, as

.above 4fdeseribed,' ii''urnishes a. very i convenf 60,- ient :form etthermoscope :for determining ther-temperature. of .heated compounds,Vsuch 4as -paraitinl or'theilifke. The easingtorms a covering Whichprotects the tubes from f brealmgfe andf the .sight opening permits? theM2-state of the substances in the tubes to be` ing. The portiony 22extends Within `theV readily observed. Although other containers tor thechemical compounds may be used, it has been found convenient to employ`tubes of the characterl indicated-toi.' this purpose. These tubes`ail'ord goed visibility, may be mounted in the casing in a conven-.ientn'ianncig and may be readily removed Athe minimum 4tempeinturc isindicated by the normally lopaque substance in tube Y1.7 becoming clear,and when thetemperature reaches 23900 F., the maximum temperature isindicated by the substance in the lube lG becoming clear. rllherefore,the temperature olfthe compound or-parallhi--may he readily determinedby removing the thermoscope from the compound orparallin if fnecessary,`and notingthe condition of the substance Ain tubes `16 and 17throughlhe sight opening 4in `the casing. lVhen the `heated compound orparaffin reachesthe desired temperaturerange, as--p^reviouslyindica'ted, it is iii-proper condition-to be applied to :insulatedelectric conductors.

\ From vthe foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operationand many Aadvantages ot' ythe herein-described and delineated inventionWill be apparent to those yskilled inthe art without riturtherdescripit-ion, and itWill-be understood that various changes inthe size,shape,proportion and minor-details lof construction, as yWell as changesin the -proportionalparts ot #the ingredients may be resortedtor-Without departing l'rom thespirit or sacrilicing' any -ot the`advantagcsoflthe invention, as delined` in the appended claims.

1. fithermoscope'comprising a. casing, a carrier mounted-therein,aahandle forming a cap for said casing and exteiulingithercin to preventlongitudinal movement ofsaid /carrier, a pair oftubcs mounted-on saidcarrier having contained chemical compound elcments of like ingredients,but ol' different proportions, respectively, theelcmens beingapportioned in said tubes to respond to predetermined temperature rangesto respectivelyl indicatesthe maximum and .minimum heat conditions-inmelted substances.

y2. A ,thermosoopecomprising a casing, a carrier mounted therein,parallel tubes mounted onsaidearrier, each tube having silver nitrateand .thalliuinnitrate of difflerent proportions contained therein torespond respectively to predetermined ranges vin temperature ot `meltedsubi-dances, thc ingredients in one ot said tubes heine*y 'fusible at atemperature of approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit to indicate theminimum heat condition in the melted substance, and the ingredients inthe other tube being usible at a temperature of 390 degrees Fahrenheitto indicate the vmaximum heat conditions in melted substances.

3. A thermoscope comprising a casing, a carrier mounted therein,parallel tubes mounted on said carrier, each tube having ingredientsthereinto respond respectively to predetermined ranges in temperature ofmelted substances, the ingredients in one tube comprising silver nitrateof approximately 85% and thallium nitrate of approximately 15%, and theingredients in the second tube comprising silver nitrate of a`roximately 90% and thalliuin nitrate of agroximately 10%, theingredients in said first tube being fusible at a temperature ofapproximately 37 5 degrees Fahrenheit to indicate a minimum heatcondition in the melted substance, and the ingredients in the secondtube being fusible at a temperature of approximately 390 degreesFahrenheit to indicate a maximum heat condition in the melted substance.

4. A thermoscope comprising an elongated casing of substantiallyrectangular shape having flanges extending longitudinally of its frontside to provide a sight-opening between the edges of said flanges, Isaidcasing having a substantially closed bottom portion and an open topportion, a carrier mounted in the casing, said carrier comprising a flatportion having extensions forwardly andv rearwardly thereof torespectively engage the flange portions and rear portions of said casingto permit a slidable engagement of the carrier into position in thecasing, parallel tubes mounted on the carrier in a position to bevisualized through the sightopening, and a handle alixed to the upperportion of the casing and extending therein to prevent the longitudinalmovement of said carrier.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication this26th day of December, A1924.

CHESTER s. GoRDoN.

